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This year at the CSBA Trade Show, we asked participants to help us discover shared values for quality education in California by taking part in the creation of a data map. Through this visual language, they shared what they valued in delivering quality education to students.

In response to the numerous tragedies related to school shootings, our design team collaborated to understand how they can design safer schools for students and staff while keeping the focus on student learning outcomes.

Architects aren’t builders. They are visionaries, dreamers, and thinkers. And that’s exactly what we want them to be. Experts in their craft that help clients uncover possibilities by using their insights to craft a vision. They put countless hours into designing buildings that perfectly fit the owners’ needs—and just as much time should go into guaranteeing it gets build according to those specifications.

A Window into a New World

Once a decade a new technology is created that revolutionizes the architecture and design industry. Virtual reality (VR) is such a tool.

Using the advanced motion and positioning sensors inside a smartphone, VR headsets have the ability to transport the viewer to another world. This ability to "be there in person" has been used for everything from video games to heavy-industry training.

At Ruhnau Ruhnau Clarke Architects, we are exploring how VR can not only be a tool for us as architects but also school administrators and educators. Many of our clients carry the extra burden of planning for facilities that will house students for decades and influence a generation’s perception of learning. It is then imperative that they understand the scale and affects of a design and how a facility will operate.

Tools of the Trade

Indio High School Auditorium

Designed by Ruhnau Ruhnau Clarke, the J. Roderick Basehore Theatre at Indio High School is a premier location for musical and theatrical performances.

This immersive VR experience was created to showcase the spectacularJ. Roderick Basehore Theatre at Indio High School. By blending real-world footage with immersive sound effects, music, and simple motion graphics, the viewer begins to appreciate the quality of the building and it's role in advancing the arts.

To get the full experience watch the video below on a smartphone or iPad using the Youtube app. The video will appear in 3D, allowing you to move your device around and view the theater from any angle.

Vision

Creating the immersive VR experience for Roderick Basehore Theatre at Indio High School is just the beginning for Ruhnau Ruhnau Clarke. As we move forward with this technology, our focus is on how it may improve our client's needs to understand a facility ahead of time and have access to the information to make the best decisions.